Advice on applying for nursing and midwifery scholarships and grants

6 Apr 2023

CRANAplus Professional Officer Melanie Avion offers advice on applying for scholarships and grants including tips on meeting the criteria, filling out and submitting an application, and the importance of quality control.

CRANAplus offers a range of scholarships and grants, and you will find information on a variety of other scholarships, grants, and bursaries in our Pathway Incentives resource.

Such opportunities can support you on a remote nursing pathway, but they are often competitive. Selection panels have to make challenging decisions based on the information presented in the application. When applying, there are some things you can do to put yourself in the best position to be successful.

Meet the stated criteria

Check you meet the criteria and that the focus of the scholarship or grant matches your circumstances. Selection panels do not consider applications that do not meet the criteria or requests for financial or other support outside the scholarship target. Therefore, focus your responses on the scholarship or grant goals. Sometimes you may need to be creative and explore how your circumstance might meet a funding organisation’s goal.

Complete your application

Complete all questions and sections fully. Incomplete applications rarely proceed to selection panels for consideration. Remember, your application is your chance to fully present your case for support. If you leave out information requested by the panel you may risk your chances of being selected.

Submit on time or before

There are some scholarships and grants available which are always open and do not have closing dates, but these are rare. When there is a submission closing date, plan to complete your submission early. This gives you a chance to avoid technical issues and to quality control your submission.

Quality control

In general, selection panels do not judge your submission based on spelling and grammar and are not seeking an epic essay. Clear, concise, and detailed responses assist selection panels, so proofreading and spell check are encouraged. Quality control also involves reflecting on the goals of the scholarship or grant and directly addressing these in any questions asked.

Seek out opportunities!

There’s nothing stopping you from applying to multiple opportunities; just remember to declare if you have already secured funds when offered a second scholarship or grant. Look for opportunities at your university if you are a student or try searching for philanthropic services, or opportunities from employers, local government or community service groups.

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